Before Erin Sharpe arrived at Bellevue, Bruins softball coach Michala Cimino was given a scouting report.
“Her summer coach told me four years ago now that if this kid does what we think she can do, she’ll be an All-American for you,” Cimino said. “That was dead-on, he was right.”
For the second year in a row, Sharpe was named a first-team All-American and the North Star conference player of the year. Also for the second straight year, Sharpe is the honorary captain for The World-Herald’s NAIA/NCAA Division III team.
Sharpe was Bellevue’s most dangerous hitter and its ace in the circle. She batted .409 with 19 home runs and 55 RBIs while compiling a 16-7 record with a 1.85 ERA. She helped the Bruins go 32-23, marking the ninth straight season that Bellevue has won more than 30 games.
“She kind of had to take on a bigger role (this season) when it came to pitching,” Cimino said. “Erin had to focus more on the pitching aspect and sometimes that takes away from what that kid loves to do — she could hit nonstop if you let her.”
Hitting is Sharpe’s forte. Sharpe, who is from Bosque Farms, New Mexico, finished fourth in the NAIA this year in homers, sixth in total bases (145), 10th in slugging percentage (.824) and 21st in RBIs. Heading into her senior year, she is the school’s career home run leader with 53.
As a pitcher, Sharpe has compiled a 38-16 record in her three seasons. She led the Bruins in wins this season, but in an ideal world, Cimino hopes Sharpe mainly plays third base next season.
Cimino said she’s bringing in two junior college transfers who hopefully will handle most of the pitching chores.
“I’m hoping next year we have Erin not worry about the pitching and just play defense and hit. Her numbers could get even better,” Cimino said.
“Erin had to take a whole different role and have a whole different mindset this year. To be a first-team All-American, I’m really proud of the kid because she had a lot on her plate.”
The NAIA/D-III team also included four players from Midland, which won the GPAC regular-season title. That group includes ace Jaylee Hinrichs, who shattered school records for single-season strikeouts (317) and innings pitched (223 2⁄3). She finished the season 23-11 with two saves and was a second-team All-American.
Doane’s Jordan Van Roy was a first-team All-American as she hit .478 with 46 RBIs. Van Roy, who is the first first-team All-American in school history, broke single-season school records with 76 hits and 125 total bases. She tied the school record with 16 doubles.
The junior college team is led by McCook shortstop Alexis Moeaki, who set a school record with 76 RBIs this spring.
That was part of a huge season for Moeaki as she hit .468, scored 61 runs, hit 22 doubles and 11 home runs. She finished as McCook’s career leader in batting average (.464), hits (176) and RBIs (142).
McCook had a strong offense this spring as it hit .366 as a team and averaged 7.9 runs per game.
The captain of the NCAA Division II team is Wayne State catcher Katelyn Wobken.
The senior from Scribner hit .377 while starting all 45 games behind the plate. She tied for the team lead in hits with 60 and led the team in runs scored (36) and stolen bases (18). For her career, Wobken finished in the top 10 in program history in triples, homers, steals and total bases.
All-Nebraska college softball teams
NCAA DIVISION II
*C: Katelyn Wobken, sr., WSC, .377, 25 RBIs, 18 SBs
1B: Emily Chandler, jr., WSC, .392, 7 HRs, 43 RBIs
2B: Kaylee Schutte, fr., UNK, .266, 10 RBIs
SS: Kaitlyn Johnson, so., UNK, .255, 14 RBIs
3B: Cheyenne Hamilton, jr., UNK, .368, 7 HRs, 34 RBIs
OF: Jordyn Breitbarth, sr., WSC, .358, 10 HRs, 26 RBIs
OF: Aspen Eubanks, sr., CSC, .303, 13 RBIs
OF: Alexis Ray, so., UNK, .384, 15 RBIs, 28 R
EP: Kayla Michel, jr., CSC, .329, 5 HRs, 16 RBIs
U: Alexis Howe, so., UNK, .360, 4 HRs, 26 RBIs
P: Megan Horn, so., CSC, 3.89 ERA, 15 CGs
P: Meg Housholder, sr., UNK, 8-6, 2.64 ERA
P: Jess Jarecki, so., CSC, 11-17, 2.51 ERA, 205 Ks
P: Riley Vanderveen, WSC, 7-14, 5.61 ERA
*— denotes honorary captain
Honorable mention: CSC, Allie Mason, Bailynn Meek. UNK, Sara Sempek. WSC, Allison Niemeier, Rachel Shumaker.
NAIA/D-III
C: Katlin Anders, so., Midland, .339, 36 RBIs
1B: Rachel Carlos, sr., Peru State, .356, 29 RBIs
2B: Brittney Amezquita, sr., Doane, .404, 47 R, 36 RBIs
SS: Nicole Fernandez, sr., Doane, .412, 56 R, 33 RBIs
3B: Hhana Haro, fr., Concordia, .494, 5 HRs, 38 RBIs
OF: Andrea Cespedes, fr., Midland, .310, 40 R, 17 2Bs
OF: Grace Glotfelty, fr., Bellevue, .400, 10 HRs, 37 RBIs
OF: Jordan Van Roy, jr., Doane, .478, 50 R, 46 RBIs
EP: Corrin Ziepke, sr., Hastings, .390, 12 HRs, 36 RBIs
*U: Erin Sharpe, jr., Bellevue, .409, 19 HRs, 16-7
P: Jaylee Hinrichs, jr., Midland, 23-11, 2.00 ERA, 317 Ks
P: Lexi LeCalsey, sr., Bellevue, 13-8, 2.57 ERA
P: Kailey Meyer, fr., Nebraska Wesleyan, 15-7, 2.59 ERA
P: Madison Plummer, jr., Midland, 11-4, 3.26 ERA
P: Josie Schnakenberg, fr., Doane, 14-8, 3.03 ERA
*— denotes honorary captain
Honorable mention: Bellevue, Emily Gigax, Lexi LeCalsey, Sayde Woten. Concordia, MacKinsey Schmidt, Allysia Thayer. Doane, Haileigh Tardiff, Tayler Mashburn, Jordyn Stearns. Hastings, Alyssa Carter, Alex Schmidt. Midland, Sierra Athow, Nicole O’Haver, Bobbi Singleton. Nebraska Wesleyan, Jordan Arndt, Morgan Shipley, Nicole Vana. Peru State, Tyler Farrell. St. Mary, Brittney Banks, Whitney Chamberlain, Nicki Larsen. York, Lia Hamamoto, Mikayla Lawrence, Alysia Rodriguez.
TWO-YEAR COLLEGES
C: Danica Schaefer, so., Central, .488, 39 R, 33 RBIs
1B: Savannah Robertson, so., Northeast, .471, 40 RBI, 50 R
2B: Emily Charchuk, fr., McCook, .439, 66 R, 34 RBIs
*SS: Alexis Moeaki, so., McCook, .468, 11 HRs, 76 RBIs
3B: Michaela Kelly, fr., W. Nebraska, .383, 14 HRs, 53 RBIs
OF: Madi Jackson, so., W. Nebraska, .421, 58 R, 39 RBIs
OF: Jerusha Miner, fr., McCook, .373, 53 R, 39 SBs
OF: Chanel Siebenthal, fr., McCook, .406, 57 R, 17 SBs
EP: Jessica Lusk, so., Southeast, .429, 16 HRs, 56 RBIs
U: Jenna Robinson, so., Central, .381, 13 HRs, 55 RBIs
P: Alayna Allen, fr., Northeast, 3.64 ERA, .404, 59 RBIs
P: Katelyn Keene, so., Central, 12-6, 3.21 ERA
P: Emma McMillan, fr., W. Nebraska, 14-19, 6.10 ERA
P: Taya Thorpe, so., McCook, 21-20, 200 Ks, 5.43 ERA
*— denotes honorary captain
Honorable mention: Central, Shelby Behnk, Mackenzie Eller, Ashten Gibson. North Platte, Emily Marsden, Hallei Morales, Erin Renwick, Ana Talaroc-Kaniho, Kenlee Wanlass. Northeast, Jade Long, Emily Sherstone. Southeast, Brooke Brestel, Cassidy Burkhardt, Jasmine Davis, Jenny Eacker, Kelsey Markey. Western Nebraska, Brooke Doumer, Alyssa Guymon, Gabby Loya, Reagan Solomon.
